Time Of Dying
by TheCrimsonGhost309
Summary: Oneshot set during chapters 100 / 101, episodes 58 / 59 of Brotherhood, Riza's POV after her throat is sliced. RoyAi. Songfic to Time Of Dying by Three Days Grace.


**Well it's been forever since I wrote a songfic, and I kinda wanted to write a fic about this scene, so there you go.**

**Disclaimer: I obviously don't own FMA. Or the song.**

"Didn't I tell you? We don't have much time."

She suddenly felt her captor's arm pulling away from her neck, only to be replaced by immense pain. She felt the edge of the sword cutting through her flesh, feeling blood spray on her face, eyes widening in shock.

Her eyes darts towards him for a second, before she slowly slumps to the floor.

_**On the ground I lay  
>Motionless in pain<br>I can see my life flashing before my eyes  
>Did I fall asleep?<br>Is this all a dream?  
>Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare<strong>_

Riza lay on the cold ground. She could vaguely feel something warm rushing from her neck. She realized she had to do something. Anything.

But she couldn't. She could only lie motionlessly there, bleeding her life out.

She couldn't move.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't speak.

Paralyzed.

She felt that pain slowly flooding all of her senses.

Was she dying?

No. No, she can't die. She's got to follow her Colonel.

She was under orders not to die.

It's just not possible. This can't be real.

It must be some horrible nightmare. She must wake up. Would somebody please just wake her up?

Her eyes were closed, but she could feel something warm and sticky soaking her shirt.

Her own blood.

She suddenly realized that yes, she is dying.

Her life began flashing in front of her eyes.

_Her mother calling her 4 year old self to get some freshly-baked cookies._

_Her mother and father walking her in the park._

_Her father running after her while her mother is laughing._

_Her mother's death and funeral._

_Her father slowly losing his sanity, immersing himself in his work._

_The day he tattooed her back, telling her he was thankful as she held back her tears._

_The day she met the boy known as Roy Mustang._

_Her father's funeral._

_Ishbal._

_The time when Roy burned her back, as she lay on the bed shivering while he kept apologizing over and over._

_Meeting the Elrics._

_A usual day at the office._

_The Colonel. Havoc. Edward and Alphonse. Breda. Fuery. Falman._

_Walking in the park with Black Hayate._

She felt her body being dragged on the floor, before it was thrown down, hurting her even more.

Suddenly, through the haze that covered her mind, she heard a voice.

A voice she knew all too well. She knew that voice for a very, very long time.

And that voice was calling her.

"Lieutenant!"

_"I'd be happy if I could protect the people of this country with my own hands."_

_"I think it's a wonderful dream."_

"Can you hear my voice?"

_"It's been a while, Major Mustang. Do you remember me?"_

"Say something!"

_"Will you follow me?"_

_"If that is your wish, then even into hell."_

"LIEUTENANT!"

_"My only order for you all is this: Don't die!"_

Awareness came back into her mind.

Slowly, but determinedly, she raises a heavy hand to press on the wound.

_**I will not die (I will not die)  
>I will survive<br>I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
>I feel alive, when you're beside me<br>I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
>In my time of dying<strong>_

She heard the gold-toothed doctor saying in his deadly calm voice: "Oh, maybe you want to transmute her back after she dies? That's fine by me."

She opened her eyes, looking at the Colonel. He wasn't even looking at her. But she knew.

He wanted to commit the taboo. To save her.

But he was torn between doing it, and not doing it.

Taking a deep breath, she chokes out. "I won't die." His eyes travel to her. "I'm under orders not to die." Her voice was shaky and filled with pain, but she was determined not to die.

At least until she stops him from performing human transmutation.

At least until he is by her side.

_**On this bed I lay  
>Losing everything<br>I can see my life passing me by  
>Was it all too much?<br>Or just not enough?  
>Wake me up, I'm living a nightmare<strong>_

She pressed her hand against the still-gushing wound, desperate to slow down the bleeding, but it wasn't working. She could feel herself growing weaker by the minute, the pool of blood beneath her becoming bigger and bigger.

It's only ironic, isn't it? It's only fair that she dies like this, after all the sins she committed in Ishbal. But she didn't want to die. She still had many things to do, many places to go. She still had to protect her Colonel. But her time is running out.

_"Do not simply accept death, Lieutenant."_

"Oh? She's grown quite. I wonder if she's dead."

She hadn't even realized that she had her eyes closed. She heard her Colonel's angry voice. He was going to break.

She must stop him, even at the price of her life.

All these killings they did in Ishbal. His vow to reach the top so they wouldn't die in vain. His dreams of changing this country into a democracy.

He was going to throw all that away, for her sake.

He just can't do that. After all these years, all this work, all these sacrifices, all would be lost if he did that wretched transmutation.

Taking another deep breath, she speaks. "Colonel… " Talking was becoming so, so hard now. "There is no need…for you to perform…human transmutation."

"But you'll do it, won't you Mustang?" The doctor says slyly.

She suddenly sees movement above her.

She looks back at the Colonel. He was breaking.

She gathers her remaining strength, as she catches his eye. Her gaze, fierce and determined, looks at the ceiling, telling him one thing.

_Don't do it. Help is on the way._

His eyes fight her gaze for a second, before they widen in shock. His chest heaved as he tilted his head to the side. He understood her plea.

She just told him to let her go.

Because they both realized, even if help was coming, they couldn't fix this.

She was still dying.

"I understand."

_**I will not die (I will not die)  
>I will survive<br>I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
>I feel alive, when you're beside me<br>I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
>In my time of dying<strong>_

"Ooh! You'll do it?" The doctor grinned.

"I understand, Lieutenant. I will not perform human transmutation!"

She sighs in relief and closes her eyes. Now she'll just wait for him. Hopefully he's not going to take long.

She vaguely hears explosions around her, as she suddenly hears his voice, hearing footsteps running closer to her.

"Lieutenant!" She feels a pair of familiar, strong arms around her weak body. They belonged to the one person she knew that well. Roy Mustang.

"Stay with me, Lieutenant! Open you eyes! Lieutenant!"

She gathers whatever strength she's got left and opens her heavy eyelids. She looks into his onyx eyes. They were so, so close now. She tries to speak, but no voice comes out.

"It's alright, save your strength. You'll be fine."

She began feeling cold. So cold. She just realized that she was slightly shaking. His grip tightened on her. "It's alright. You're going to be ok. Just hang in there, Lieutenant!" He pressed his hand against the wound, his white, torn glove turning red in an instant, as she winced in pain. "Shh, I know it hurts, but you're going to be alright. Just stay awake now."

Despite his assurances, her eyes closed against her will.

"No! Don't die! Lieutenant, stay with me!"

He still called her Lieutenant, so he wasn't letting her go yet, huh?

She didn't want to go. She was feeling so warm, so protected.

She was about to open her eyes again, when she felt his arms slipping from around her.

_**I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
>I feel alive, when you're beside me<br>I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
>In my time of dying<strong>_

She feels a strange sensation in her neck.

The bleeding stops.

Confused, she tries to move, but her whole body explodes in pain.

A moan escapes her lips, but she realizes she isn't dying anymore.

She's alive.

"Lieutenant!"

Again, his arms surround her, cradling her heavy body to his chest, as he pressed his face into her hair.

"I'm sorry…Thank you!"

Why was he apologizing? He didn't do anything wrong.

"Colonel…" Her voice was so thin, so weak. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't talk! Just rest!" he orders her.

Nonetheless, she struggles to open her eyes, looking into his still worried ones. "I'm glad…you understood the look I gave you."

A small, relieved smile spread on his lips. "We've known each other for a long time, after all. What's more, you had this scowl on your face that said perform human transmutation, and I'll shoot you."  
>She couldn't help but smile at his joke. She would have laughed, but it still hurt so much.<p>

She looked around, only to see May. She sees the circle drawn with her blood, and realizes that this girl just saved her life. She smiles and says quietly: "Thank you." Roy looked at May. "Thank you. I owe you one." She only smiles before hurrying back to the scene behind them.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, Lieutenant. Understood?"

She smiled at him. "Yes sir."

"Can you get up?" She nodded, and he slowly got her to her feet. She immediately became lightheaded, and nearly fell, but he quickly wrapped his arms around her. She leaned heavily into him, as he supported her, with his arms around her shoulders.

The promised day wasn't over yet, and God knows what was going to happen, but right now, she felt so safe.

She came so close to death today, but she was alive now, just by standing next to the man she loved so much.

No. It wasn't her time of dying yet.

_**I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
>I will not die, when you're beside me<br>I will not die, I'll wait here for you  
>In my time of dying <strong>_

**I'm kinda happy how this one turned out, anyway, please review and tell me what you think!**


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